PUT OFF, PUT ON
Col. 3:9-10(KJV), "Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new [man], which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:"
"Put off...put on." A seemingly simplistic statement from the Apostle Paul in his writings to the Christians at at town called Colossae and, by extension, all Christians everywhere.
Put off, put on...easier said than done. With Holy Ghost enablements the saints can do all things through Christ who strengthens them. "...the source of all power in the Christian life---Jesus Christ himself."__Ray Stedman
Who is this "old man" mentioned in the text? He is the man that is lost and undone--without God or His Son. In other words one who is a sinner, a transgressor against the almighty God of the universe.
“The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace” (Romans 8:6, NIV).
Folk sin because they are sinners. They are born with a sin nature because of the disobedience of Adam and Eve to God's straightforward, concise, and clear commands. Adam had enough sense to understand, after all, he named all the animals. He consciousnessly chose to disobey his Creator.
The first Adam was Adam the Loser. The last Adam, Jesus Christ, is in every way a winner! Christ, the God-Man won for us a way back into the good graces of the Almighty. Jesus always does the will of the Father. Remember Samuel's statement, "Obedience is better than sacrifice."
A brave officer said once to his soldiers in a day of battle, “Unless you kill your enemies they will kill you.” In like manner may it be said, “Unless we crucify the flesh, it will be our everlasting ruin.”
Now those that are in Christ Jesus can put on the new man. The new man is the redeemed man. He, Christ, who knew no sin became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:18-21).
"The Bible is clear throughout that righteousness can only be found in God. Absolute true righteousness was on display for the world in Jesus Christ..."__Grant Phillips
We are new creatures in Christ Jesus, therefore there are some characteristics we can now put on: Self-denial, Endurance of suffering, Service, Faithfulness, Love, Patience, Forgiveness of others, Gentleness and Humility, Purity, and Prayer. "God commands that we act with justice in everything. Justice, Biblically speaking, is that which is moral (right behavior) and ethically (involving or expressing moral approval or disapproval) right, consistent with God's Word and holy nature."__Author Unknown This list is not all inclusive, but it gives a general picture.
The term "put on" in this context means to acquire or instill. It does not mean to pretend.
The Christian has, in Christ, everything needed to become daily more like Christ . There is no ascension here, but impartation and imputation of these qualities by Christ through the Holy Spirit (James 2:23).
We, as free moral agents, can accept or reject these directions to put off and put on. It is to one's advantage to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Next is to continue to grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior.
Christians are indebted to Christ on two fronts. First, he created them--second, he saved them.
The New Testament gives good word pictures of living the Christian life with all of its interesting intracies.The day to day and moment by moment Christian experience is likened to a race. This "race" at times can be considered an agony, yet it, the race must be carried out and carried on in patience. The Holy Spirit gives the ability to excercise patience and other fruit that stems from God's love shed abundantly in Christians' hearts.
The saint is pictured as a soldier, a farmer, and an athlete with all their attending shades of meaning. It is a marvelous thing that the Holy Spirit can illustrate the deep things of God using everyday things with which we are familiar.
"A man from the back mountains of Tennessee found himself one day in a large city, for the first time standing outside an elevator. He watched as an old, haggard woman hobbled on, and the doors closed. A few minutes later the doors opened and a young, attractive woman marched smartly off. The father hollered to his youngest son, 'Billy, go get mother.'"__ Source Unknown.
Now, an elevator will not change an individual one iota. It takes the blood of Jesus Christ to wash away the sins of the old man and renew him to become accepted in the Beloved.
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18, NIV).
"The Bible is God's complete and exhaustive manual on how to maintain a good Christian life. There is no need for us to go on a quest for higher understanding. Any difficulty on the part of man's understanding rests with his inability to just accept the[...]truth. Satan keeps trying to say, 'You're missing something,' or 'There's a better way.' He told this lie to Adam and Eve, and we all know what happened to them."__Todd Strandberg
Some would think that the putting on of the new man and then faithfully serving in the Kingdom of God would be too difficult. Aside from incorporating the thrust of Philippians 4:13 to help--please consider this illustration:
"Fred Craddock, in an address to ministers, caught the practical implications of consecration. "To give my life for Christ appears glorious," he said. "To pour myself out for others. . . to pay the ultimate price of martyrdom -- I'll do it. I'm ready, Lord, to go out in a blaze of glory. "We think giving our all to the Lord is like taking $l,000 bill and laying it on the table--'Here's my life, Lord. I'm giving it all.' But the reality for most of us is that he sends us to the bank and has us cash in the $l,000 for quarters. We go through life putting out 25 cents here and 50 cents there. Listen to the neighbor kid's troubles instead of saying, 'Get lost.' Go to a committee meeting. Give a cup of water to a shaky old man in a nursing home. Usually giving our life to Christ isn't glorious. It's done in all those little acts of love, 25 cents at at time. It would be easy to go out in a flash of glory; it's harder to live the Christian life little by little over the long haul."__Darryl Bell
In our text are two sets of key words. They are "put off" and "put on." This author is familiar with the Greek language only as it is used in the James Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. What a great resource it is. The original language of the New Testament was the Greek language. The sets of words under consideration are elucidated in their Greek meanings. "Put off" in Strong's is under the number G554. The term means
"1) wholly put off from one's self a) denoting separation from what is put off 2 wholly to strip off for one's self (for one's own advantage) 3) despoil, disarm."
"Put on" is Strong's number G1746. The term means "put on, clothed with, clothed in, have on, clothe with, be endued, arrayed in , be clothed , put on."
It is to the advantage of each Christian to sink into Jesus and put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness (Isa. 61:3).
The Lord said that the Holy Spirit will lead us into all truth (John 16:13).That statement indicates that the child of God (Gal. 4:6; Rev. 21:7) is not left to his own meager efforts to put off and put on.The enablements of God's grace are extremely potent. We have one who comes along side to help John 14:18 supports this line of thinking--"I [Jesus] will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you." "This was a broad promise fulfilled by His resurrection, by the sending of the Spirit, and especially by the promise of His bodily return to this earth."__David Guzik
"Robert Louis Stevenson tells of a storm that caught a vessel off a rocky coast and threatened to drive it and its passengers to destruction. In the midst of the terror, one daring man, contrary to orders, went to the deck, made a dangerous passage to the pilot house and saw the steerman, at his post holding the wheel unwaveringly, and inch by inch, turning the ship out, once more, to sea. The pilot saw the watcher and smiled. Then, the daring passenger went below and gave out a note of cheer: 'I have seen the face of the pilot, and he smiled. All is well.'"
"God doesn’t just offer help from heaven. He offers help from the inside to those...who are born again. It is possible to change [to put of and put on]. God himself invests in us in ways that we discover over a lifetime. We don’t have to stay in the sin cycle any longer. Jesus has joined us in the process, and that’s the indescribably good news. We have a royal, a divine, permanent Companion."__from a sermon by Brian Bill, Pontiac Bible Church, Pontiac, Illinois
Reminiscient of that famous radio announcer whose familiar words were, "And now, page two!," Let us proceed with this lesson to our "page two." The road is going to curve somewhat, but we are still on the same road.
An integral part of putting on the things of God is encompassed by functioning with endurance and consistency in Kingdom Work.
Endurance [From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia]: (also related to sufferance and resilience) is the ability of an organism to exert itself and remain active for a long period of time, as well as its ability to resist, withstand, recover from, and have immunity to trauma, wounds, or fatigue. In humans,
Consistent [From Merriam Webster Dictionary]: showing steady conformity to character, profession, belief, or custom
2 Cor. 6:3-10 (KJV), "Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: But in all [things] approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and [yet] true; As unknown, and [yet] well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and [yet] possessing all things."
Jesus' great command and great commission to the Church is still in force! We Christians, being part of the Church catholic, will be well advised to avoid routine-ness, complacency, and lack of zeal in attempts to reach folk for Christ.
There are, of course, many other Bible personalities we could examine in this study of putting off and putting on. Suffice it to say that we will focus on the Apostle Paul for this treatise.
Consider some of the works of Paul the Apostle in which he demonstrated good Christian character traits of being consistent and of enduring in the face of obstacles, oppositions, and open defiance of his God appointed work in the Kingdom of God:
physical suffering and stress
mental suffering and stress.
From 2 Cor. 11:24-25 we see that great saint was human like us. He had his troubles and trials in like fashion as we. Nine of the events he (Paul) lists are:
explosive, crushing afflictions from within and without
hardships and privations in securing his necessities
distresses (tight places and calamities)
stripes via five whippings by his fellow Jews and three from the gentiles
imprisoned at Philippi, Jerusalem, and Rome
tumults (mob uprisings and attacks)
often labored to the point of exhaustion
sleepless nights ("watchings," v.27)
frequent times of fasting
Paul was enduringly consistent and consistently enduring in his walk and work with the Lord. What a wonderful example!
Dr. Joseph Stowell, former president of Moody Bible Institute, shares this illustration: "The Greeks had a race in their Olympic games that was unique. The winner was not the runner who finished first. It was the runner who finished with his torch still lit. I want to run all the way with the flame of my torch still lit for Him."__J. Stowell, Fan The Flame, Moody, 1986, p. 32.
As we continue gleaning we see that the Apostle demonstrated continual consistency and endurance in his spiritual growth and behavior. What God did in that life, He is willing and able to perform in the life of every believer.
Let us consider the generalities and then study the particulars. Paul endured, (was undergirded) in purity, the armor of righteousness, knowledge, longsuffering, kindness, the Holy Spirit, unfeigned love, the Word of Truth, and power of God .
In purity this Ambassador for Christ was relatively spotless and stainless. His Holy Spirit enabled actions sprang from motives and behaviors that were wrought by the power of God's Son. He moved in the spirit of Mt. 5:8, "Blessed [are] the pure in heart: for they shall see God."
Paul endured in the armor of righteousness. Now, justified by Christ, his standing was in Jesus' righteousness. He knew of which he spoke in 1Tim. 6:11, "But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith,..."
In knowledge this leader of churches learned all he could about how God wanted men to live (Col. 1:10c). He did not neglect the meditation on and the study of God's Word and the Holy Father's revealed will (Acts 26:16, "But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;").
In longsuffering (patience, forbearance) Paul contended with the people to whom he ministered (Col. 1:11).
In kindness being gentle and good even when enduring abuse, unthankfullness, and not being appreciated.
Paul endured in the presence, power, and gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Thess. 1:5). One proof of God approved ministry is in the fact that the Spirit of God, that builds lives in churches, works in and through the individual.
Paul displayed boldly unfeigned love, the racham (Strong's H7355 - racham) kind of love (Ps. 18:1), that was demonstrated by Rizpah who was spoken of in 2 Sam 21:8-10. (Note for Bible students: there is a valuable and vital Biblical principle here. It will be worth the time it takes to study 2 Samuel 21 in depth.) Evidence of this kind of love in Paul can be seen in his words found in Philippians 1:23-24: "For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you."
Paul, God's man-of-the-hour, endured in the Word of Truth. The Word of Truth is the truth of the Gospel. It is not, I say, is not, philosophies and vain deceit of mere mortal men (Col. 2:8). The truth of the Gospel is not the latest fashionable thinking of the day. Someone well said, "If it's new--it's not the Gospel, If it's Gospel, it's not new." The Apostle Paul endured in the Word of Truth.
On another occasion Paul said that he was not ashamed of the Gospel because it is the power of God unto salvation (Rom. 1:16). In conjunction with that declaration he said to the disciples to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might (Eph. 6:10). And there we have it--nine enviable traits, among many, that the Holy Ghost of God used to empower Paul's great ministry.
Paul, during his marvelous ministry, was enabled to endure trials, tribulations, and tests via the power of the Holy Ghost that proceeds from the Father and the Son.
It is absolutely essential that the saint of God be filled with and baptized in the Holy Ghost. Christian ministry then will become fructiferous. Enduement of power from on high is necessary in order to be able to obey fully God's call (Mt. 11:28) and God's command (Mt. 28:19-20). With that equipping, ministry can become fertile, prolific, fecund, productive, rich, and fat (Isa. 58:11).
(Application) We Christians must "put off" and "put on." (Here I am being like the individual in church that reportedly stood to testify (You do remember the testimony meetings?) and enthusiastically exclaimed, "While I was sitting on my thought; a seat just struck me!" In preparing this application to the message a thought occurred to me. It is Yes, we do put off and put on, but, since the saints comprise the church, then, the church should do the following:
arise from lethargy and shake itself
once more take the reins of responsibility to perpetuate the Kingdom of God
rely upon the One who called us, equips us, and goes before us (2 Sam. 5:24, KJV)
I like the way the MESSAGE translates the verse: "When you hear the sound of shuffling in the trees, get ready to move out. it's a signal that God is going ahead of you to smash the Philistine camp."
Please, take to heart this quote from John Lysaught . "God made a way to heaven for all mankind.That plan is through Jesus Christ. God doesn’t have a separate contract for every person as to what makes them heaven bound or hell bound. The Word of God is clear: Only through accepting and believing the sacrificial blood of Jesus Christ will we be heaven bound. Regardless of what [one says] about your “special” relationship with your god, God’s plan is what it is and it involves you accepting or denying Jesus."__John Lysaught
